Hello, you.

Jul 14 Dear Pre-Baby Me,

You are cute. No really, you look great! Your hair is brushed! And…. are those…. curls? Nice!!!! Your nails look great - love that color! You look tan, and evenly-so. Not like the hodge podge of varying shades of Burned Tomato and Casper White I have going on now. If OPI had a nail color after my skin tone it would be “Nude is Confusing”. Don’t worry, though. I might not always feel fantastic, but trust me: You will be amazed at what your body can do. That, my friend, is priceless.

You’ve got this. I wish you didn’t spend so much time worrying about if you’re going to do it right because sometimes you will and sometimes you won’t and that’s just life. Grab some wine and move on.

You are going to be the world’s most okayest mom ever. And get comfortable with that, because you will be. I know, I know. You have lots of ideas. Hear me when I say, you are the best mom you will ever be right now while your baby is in the comfort of your womb. When you realize that many of the ideas you are stressing yourself out about now will be tossed out of the window in an instant of sleep deprivation and/or desperation, you will become the most okayest mom ever. When that beautiful being is on hour 3 of wailing, you may just put your special snowflake in her bouncy chair and take a pee-break, right after you try for the 100th time to give her a pacifier while simultaneously cursing Pre-Baby You for thinking that having a baby who doesn’t take a pacifier is the best thing ever. You know what the best thing ever is? A healthy baby. A happy baby. You won’t be perfect, but you’ll be okay. And guess what? That in and of itself is okay. Perfect. Is. Boring.

I am going to miss you. Having a baby is wonderful. The amount of love you’ll feel is truly mind-blowing. However, even in the best moments, I still look back at pre-baby times with fondness. It’s going to be a weird relationship for a little bit between you and me. For instance, you love a clean home, and so do I, but clean has a new meaning now, and that means adjusting expectations (read: no. the dishes do NOT need to be done rightthissecond). I look back on every missed opportunity for a nap and curse you. You love keeping up with friends and shows and books and news stories and the latest murder trial. I need to be more selective about these things now because my attention is limited.

You won’t be forgotten. I know you are still there. When I get 20 minutes to bake while enjoying a beer, I feel your presence and realize I just need to work a little harder to summon you up. But you’re there. And soon, our relationship will be less weird and we will find our balance. Pinky swear.

Pre-Baby Me, thank you. Thank you for making every single decision you made that led you to the amazing man who became the father of my seriously incredible daughter. Sneak peak: The first time you go for a walk as a duo after you become a trio will be ohsofun. Butterflies and everything. I am beyond happy with my life, and that’s because you paved the way.